Terry Terry
Chapter 11
"An act of compassion"
Terry and Nina showed up later at the barbecue. They went to eat, they were very hungry. Nina was stuck to him like glue. Antonia was looking at them. David saw her eyes. He knew she was interested in Terry. They were sitting by the pool drinking some punch juice.
- Your friend is finally back, said David.
- Yes, said Antonia.
- He and his girlfriend were gone for a long time…
- I hadn't noticed, pretended Antonia.
- I think they were doing the nasty in the stables, said David.
- What? Said Antonia, well they are going out together …
Antonia was hurt. But she had to hide it. Nina looked closer to Terry than ever, or was it because of what David had said?
Terry and Nina stayed away from the "rich kids" and they had a little group with Jones. It was getting late, so…
- Terry, said Jones, I'm leaving soon, you want a lift?
- Of course. Thanks Jones.
- We can drop off Nina at her place too…, said Jones.
- Thanks Jones, said Nina smiling.
- Let's go say goodbye to Antonia and the others, said Terry.
They went to see the three cousins who were sitting by the pool talking.
- Hey girls, we're leaving, said Terry.
- Oh, said Antonia ok… thank you for coming.
- Thanks for inviting us, said Nina smiling, we had a great time.
- You're very welcome, said Antonia smiling.
- Good night! Said Ashley and Allyson.
- Bye guys! Said Terry and Jones.
Terry left with Nina and Jones. Jones had his car. They dropped off Nina first. Terry walked with her to her house.
- Thank you baby for this wonderful day, said Nina, thank you for everything.
- No, thank you for this beautiful day, baby, I'm going to call you when I get home.
- All right, bye baby…
- Goodnight, sweet dreams.
They kissed for a while. Jones had to wait…
- Terry! Said Jones, come on!
Terry and Nina stopped and laughed.
- I think I better go, or Jones is going to leave me here to walk home!
- All right baby, call me when you get to your bedroom.
Terry finally left Nina to go with Jones.
- Finally! Said Jones, it took you long enough, you were together all day!
- Don't tell me if you finally get Ashley you're going to get tired of her…
- You're right, said Jones smiling, but I don't think I'm ever going to have her… you've got more luck than me…
- Don't sell yourself short Jones…
- She doesn't even look at me Terry…
- Have you try talking to her?
- No… she's just so intimidating…
- Jones, if you don't try you'll never know…
- I'll try when I'm ready…
- All right…
They arrived at the Reagans and Terry got out of the car.
- Thanks buddy, said Terry, good night.
- Good night Terry.
Terry went to his room and he called Nina. They talked for a long time. Terry went to bed with a smile on his face. His cell phone rang before he fell asleep.
- Antonia! You're not sleeping?
- No, I'm in my bed…
- How did the evening end?
- It was fine, said Antonia, did you have a good time?
- Yes, it was great, said Terry.
- You disappeared for a while…
- Nina and I wanted to be alone for a little while, since I'll have the internship during the summer…
- I wasn't implying anything…
- Come on Antonia… it's me… you can tell me anything.
- It's none of my business, but David suggested…
- That we had a roll in the hay?
- Did you?
- You really want me to answer that?
- Not really…I'm sorry Terry, what you do with your girlfriend is none of my business…
- How's David? Asked Terry.
- He left…
- Did you have fun with him?
Antonia was happy. Terry was a little jealous!
- Yes, she said, he was polite…
- Really? Then why was he gossiping about Nina and me?
- Oh… I don't know…
"Because I couldn't stop looking at you" She said in her head.
- Maybe he just likes to talk about other people, she said, anyway, I told him it was none of his concern…
- He should've concentrated on getting your attention.
- He tried, but I wasn't interested.
Terry was a little relieved.
- Well it was good talking to you, said Terry.
- Good night Terry…
Antonia was happy. Terry care about her. She went to bed on cloud nine. Terry fell asleep with a sigh of relief…
oOoOoOoOoOo
Before the week started, Terry was spending a lot of his free time with Nina. She was working everyday at the salon since it was the summer vacations. Terry stopped working at the stable. He had saved up enough money to buy a used car. He wanted to buy one before school, with the money from the internship.
He went to the Pony Home and he found one of the little boys whose name was Marty in pain. Marty's health was not very good. He was in his own little corner. He had some severe pain in the stomach.
- What's wrong with him? Asked Terry to Sister Maria.
- I think it's his appendix, she said.
- Does he need an operation?
- Yes, but we don't have medical insurance, said Miss Pony, we've made a special request, but…it's taking a lot of time.
- In other words, it was denied…, said Terry angry, how could they leave us like this… we have no one! They're suppose to take care of us…!
- It just takes a little while for the paperwork to be processed properly, said Sister Maria sadly.
- That's not fair, said Terry.
He remained silent for a while, then he said.
- I can pay for it…
- What? Said Sister Maria, how?
- I've got money in my account, from my jobs…
- But Terry, you probably have plans with that money, you wanted to buy a car…
- Marty's health is more important than a car, said Terry, I can work again… in fact I've got an internship for the summer.
- Terry, said Miss Pony, are you sure?
- Yes I am. I want my little brother to be better. He needs surgery, so I'm paying for it…
Sister Maria hugged Terry with tears in her eyes.
- God bless you my son, she said with her eyes closed, thank you!
- You're welcome mommy Maria, said Terry, we should go to the hospital now…
- You're right, said Miss Pony, hugging him too, let's take him to the hospital, he needs this surgery yesterday!
The orphanage had a van, donation from a local family, who wanted a write off their taxes…Whatever the reason, it was a good help for the Pony Home. Sister Maria drove them to the hospital. Miss Pony stayed to supervise the other children. In the van, Terry was sitting at the back with Marty at the back. Marty was lying down at the back he had his head on Terry's lap.
- Mommy Maria, we need to stop at the bank, I'm going to take a cashier's check, said Terry
- All right, said Sister Maria…
She was still touched by Terry's selflessness. She was crying silently. That boy had a heart of gold. They stopped at the bank and Terry got out. He came back 10 minutes later.
- Let's go, he said.
- Thank you Terry, God will give you back all that money, a hundred times more…, said Sister Maria.
Terry smiled. They arrived at hospital. Marty was examined and the doctor came to see them in the hallway.
- We need to operate on him now, said the doctor, but do you have insurance?
- We're going to pay with a cashier's check, said Sister Maria.
- All right you can go and fill out the paperwork and take care of the bill, as soon as everything is settle, we can proceed…
- What? I can show you the cheque if you want, said Terry upset, he's in pain, you need to treat him yesterday! You wanted money, we brought you money! Now you treat my brother, right now!
- Terry, calm down, said Sister Maria.
- No! How dare they put paper work ahead of Marty's health?
- Can you start treating him you can see that we're good for the money, said Sister Maria.
The doctor looked at the boy struggling in pain. They were right, but it was procedure…they did have a cashier's cheque…
- All right, I'm going to start while you fill out the paper work, the boy seems to be in a lot of pain.
- Thank you so much doctor, said Sister Maria.
- Thank you, said Terry still a little upset.
Some orderly came with a wheel chair to take Marty to his room and get him ready for surgery. Terry went with Sister Maria to fill out the paper work and pay for the surgery. When they were done, all they had to do is wait. Terry called Nina at the salon to tell her that he was at the hospital.
- Are you ok baby? She asked worried.
- Yes, it's not me, it's Marty...
- You're little brother?
- Yes, he's in surgery right now…
- Oh my God! Why?
- For an appendectomy…
- The poor little boy…
- So I won't be able to pick you up…
- I understand, I'm going to come to the hospital after work…
- Thanks baby.
- I'll see you later. Thanks for calling me…I love you.
- See you later honey…
Terry went back to the waiting room. Miss Pony joined them. She had found a volunteer to look after the children.
- So how is he? She asked.
- Mommy Pony, said Terry, he's still in surgery. We're waiting.
Miss Pony sat down with them. They were looking at magazine without reading, without even looking they were preoccupied. Nina arrived.
- Nina, said Terry standing up, what are you doing here? Your shift is not over yet.
Nina ran to hug him.
- My boss let me come here to be with you when I told her what happened.
- Oh… thank you so much, said Terry hugging her.
- Miss Pony, Sister Maria, said Nina.
- Hi Nina, said the two women…
She went to sit with Terry who took her in his arms. After a while that seemed endless, the doctor finally came to see them.
- The surgery went well… it was touch and go there for a while… the appendix was about to burst…but we got there right on time. It's a good thing you brought him, because if his appendix had burst, he would've died…
- Oh my God! Said Sister Maria and Miss Pony.
Sister Maria turned to Terry and she gave him a big hug.
- Thank you so much Terry, you saved Marty's life, she said crying…
- I'm glad I could help, said Terry moved.
Miss Pony hugged him too.
- Terry , what you did was very generous, said Miss Pony.
- Can we see him? Asked Sister Maria.
- In a moment, they're going to bring him back to his room in a few moments, said the doctor.
- Thank you doctor, for everything, said Miss Pony.
- Yes, thank you, said Terry, I'm sorry I was rude earlier…
- That's ok, I'm used to family member's outbursts, said the doctor smiling.
They were allowed to go to Marty's room a few moments later. Marty was asleep. He woke up later on and he was happy to see his family there.
- Terry, he said, you're here…
- Yes, Marty.
- Thank you so much Terry, you saved my life…
- You're my little brother, said Terry, you don't have to thank me…don't talk. You need to rest.
- Ok, hi, Sister Maria, Miss Pony, Nina, he said smiling.
- Hi, said Nina, I got you a Teddy bear from the gift shop to keep you company at night.
- Thanks Nina…
They stayed with him until visiting hours were over.
- I'm going to stay with him, said Sister Maria.
- All right, I can drive the van home, said Miss Pony, and drop Terry at the Reagan's…
- I actually told them I was spending the night at the Pony Home said Terry.
- Oh… ok. Let's go then…, said Miss Pony.
- Bye Marty, mommy Maria, said Terry.
- Bye, Terry, said Maria hugging him hard, have a good night.
- Bye Terry, Nina, Miss Pony, said Marty.
- Bye, said Nina.
They got out of the hospital room and they went to the van to go back to the Pony Home. They drove by Nina's first.
- I'm going to come back later, said Terry to Miss Pony, I'm going to spend some time with Nina.
- All right. Don't come back too late, said Miss Pony.
- All right.
Terry went with Nina to her house. Her parents were out for the evening.
- Terry, she said, you paid for the operation?
- Yes…
- With the money you were saving up for your car?
- A car is not that important…
Nina looked at him. She loved more at that moment than she ever did. He was so compassionate.
- Oh baby, she said hugging him, do you know how much I love you?
- No, I don't… say that to me again…
- I love you Terrence White …
- That's music to my ears, he said taking her lips.
They were about to get passionate. The emotions of the day, the near death of Marty and finally the big relief… all that had only made them more exiting than ever…
- When are your parents coming back?
- In 3 hours, she said kissing his lips gently, we have time for some hanky panky…
- No hay this time, he said smiling…
oOoOoOoOoOo
Terry went back to the Pony Home in time for bed. Miss Pony was glad he didn't stay too long with Nina. She was glad to have her son for the night. She missed him.
- Did you have fun with Nina?
- Yes…he said, she was great in comforting me, I needed that.
"Comforting, he said in his head, is that what you call it now, Terry?"
- She's a nice girl, said Miss Pony, I like her…Terry, words can't express the way I feel about you right now…
- You raised me, mommy Pony, you taught me everything I know.
- But you also have a good heart, a heart of gold…not a lot of people would've done what you did… we didn't even have enough in our account to cover half of the cost for the surgery. You were saving up for your car…
- Don't worry about me, money has no end… I'll make more money…
Terry's cell phone rang, he looked for it and then he answered.
- Antonia, he said.
- Terry! I've been calling you all day…
- I know I was going to call you, we had an emergency.
- What kind?
- One of my little brothers got an emergency appendectomy.
- Oh my God!
He told her what happened. They talked for a while. Miss Pony was looking at him. When he was done, she said
- You really like Antonia…
- She's very nice.
- What about Nina?
- Nina is my girlfriend mommy Pony…
- All right, you know what you're doing…
The cell phone rang again.
- Nina baby, you miss me already?
He walked to Miss Pony and he hugged her, kiss her on the cheek and he went to his old bedroom to continue his chat with his girlfriend. The day had been a very long one.